


Aim for the Future

by brynstar



Category: Persona 5, Persona Series
Genre: F/M, Fluff, Self-Indulgent, postgame
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-05-08
Updated: 2017-05-18
Packaged: 2018-10-29 12:43:14
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 4,235
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10854246
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/brynstar/pseuds/brynstar
Summary: It had been three years since the Phantom Thieves disbanded, yet each of them faced the next challenge in their lives: living normal lives. For Makoto and Akira, these challenges would be shared together, their bond the strongest of all. [Postgame Makokira, will obviously contain spoilers.]





	1. 20XX 5 14

The smell of coffee in the morning always reminded him of Leblanc, of his old home, and of his old life. It was bittersweet, in taste and in scent, a smell that made him think he would wake up in his old attic room to be greeted with a fresh cup of coffee and a plate of curry, made with unspoken love by Sojiro. What awaited him instead, however, was a very annoyed Morgana, kneading on his chest. The feeling of his claws descending into his own flesh caused him to jolt out of his daydream, letting out a small cry of pain.

“C’mon! You don’t want to be late for your orientation, do you?”

Oh god, he’d forgotten about that, hadn’t he? It was typical of him to run late to everything, it seemed, and even college was no different. He hadn’t rushed into signing up for college despite numerous letters from colleges and pushing from Makoto to sign up for classes. He wanted to adjust to normal life, leaving behind his old routine of being the Trickster behind before he fully decided to go to college. After some time, however, he finally decided it was best to sign up, missing the routine of going from class to class. He let Makoto know this first, of course, detailing his plans to major in political science in order to become a politician.

“… I see. Even with the Phantom Thieves disbanded, your heart is still set on changing the world, isn’t it?”

**It is.**

“And that’s one of the reasons I lo- Admire! Admire you so much.”

Despite the fact the two of them had been dating for some time, they were hesitant to drop the L word, as Akira wanted to save it for when they could be together fully, and Makoto was just unsure of the timing of it all. One detail he didn’t mention, and he planned on surprising her with this, was that he was going to her college, just like he told her back at Yongen-Jaya. He’d kept it as his goal for quite some time, and once the letter of acceptance was in his hands, he knew he’d made the right decision.

Sprinting out of his dorm with Morgana tucked safely in his bag, he arrived in the gym, patiently awaiting the school’s orientation. However, there was a familiar mop of brown hair, still kept ever so neatly, up in the very front row. He smirked, getting into his classic sneaking pose before moving up behind the target and tapping them on the shoulder. Rather than a friendly turnaround and smile, however, he was met with a punch to the face, knocking his fake glasses off of his face.

“Oh my god, I am _so_ sorr- Akira?!”

Well. Not everything needed to go according to plan, or at least that was what he told himself as he rubbed his cheek.

“I didn’t know you applied _here!_ God, I’m so sorry for hitting you, but I’m also really glad to see you, and—We’re causing a scene right now, oh gosh, I’m so embarrassed now…”

**It’s fine. I missed you.**

“I—I missed you too. It’s nice to finally see you again.”

Meeting up with one another had been extremely difficult. Makoto’s school schedule was rigorous, but they decided instead to do video calls with one another, sharing details about their days or what they were thinking about, and occasionally streaming movies together. The distance wasn’t so bad, but he couldn’t help but have the lingering desire to physically _be_ there with her. He stood up, still holding his cheek as a member of the school staff approached him, asking if everything was alright or if they needed to call security, but he shook his head, joking that he’s used to her punches by now, and that he’d be fine to get through orientation. Makoto’s face flushed red as she tried to speak up, but the staff had already walked away, brows raised ever so slightly. He sat down next to her, noting that she was one of the few students in the front row, before intertwining his fingers with her own. Her face went even redder, but she smiled softly, squeezing his hand ever so slightly. This feeling he had with her, now this was home. Not some attic in Leblanc, not with his parents, and not in his new dorm room, but right next to Makoto, the two of them still stupidly, madly in love with each other. This was his place in the world, one of the things he fought so hard to protect when Yaldaboath threatened the world with destruction. Her smile, her warmth, just… _her_. He wasn’t one to really be able to go on long-winded talks about his feelings, being a man of few words, but he knew that when he looked at her, she knew exactly how he felt. The small gestures of affection he did, however rare they were lately, were one of the best ways outside of this to communicate with her.

Once orientation was concluded, he pulled Makoto aside to talk to her about plans to meet up now that the two of them were on the same campus.

“So, where would you want to go for our first date together in a while?”

**My dorm. I’m sure you miss Leblanc’s curry by now.**

Her cheeks went red again, just like they always did whenever he invited her back to his room, but she nodded, her eyes almost lighting up at the prospect of Akira cooking for her.

**Oh, and Makoto?**

“Hm?”

He leaned in for a kiss, pressing his lips against hers, noting the softness of them, a somewhat unfamiliar feeling still, as they hadn’t ever kissed. When he left for home, they kissed goodbye, but that was about the extent of it. They lingered like this for a little while, Makoto pulling him closer to her. Once they pulled away, he placed a hand on her cheek, looking into her eyes and smiling at her.

**I love you.**

Her face broke out into a wide smile, her arms wrapping around his and her face pressing into his shoulder.

“You don’t know how long I’d been waiting for you to say that. I love you too, Akira.”

At long last, he was reunited with his Queen, and this time, he wouldn’t let her go.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ohh boy we're in for the long haul i didn't think i'd write 1k words for this at 5 am but here we are  
> anyway, i hope you all enjoy! this is going to be a fic with chapters following different days, following the lives of makoto and akira as they try to find themselves in the postgame world  
> (as an aside the endgame songs are absolutely perfect writing fuel for persona fics thank you atlus for this blessing)


	2. 20XX 6 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Akira’s birthday was soon approaching, and Makoto was already cracking down on plans for it all. She’d called all of their friends, even reaching out to Takemi, Kawakami, and Mishima in order to help organize it all. The beauty of it? He wouldn’t see it coming.

Akira was slated to turn 19 soon, something he hadn’t even sat down to process – each day just kind of… happened in his eyes. Sure, Makoto turning 20 was a big deal, and he was excited to celebrate it with her, but with his own birthdays, he just gave an idle shrug, never really caring whether people did things for it. So when Makoto asked him what he wanted to do, he just said he wanted to spend time with her. This answer, however, was not one she was willing to accept. Rather than try to fight him, however, as she knew how stubborn he was, she decided to plot in secret, reaching out to all his friends to make his birthday as special as possible. Sojiro offered to provide the food, while the ex-members of the Phantom Thieves oversaw decorations. Ann, Yusuke, and Haru were extremely proficient at it, she noted, while Ryuji… well, he tried his best. She gave him a mental Good Noodle Star for his efforts. Once decorations were set and food laid out neatly for later consumption, Makoto signaled for everyone to get in position as she heard the door to their apartment slowly opening. She stood alone, greeting Akira with a hug and a kiss on the cheek before leading him to the room with the partygoers as they all jumped out of place, yelling “SURPRISE!”

The reaction he had wasn’t one she was expecting, as he doubled back, clutching his chest in pure shock.

**Do you need to sit down, Akira?**

He nodded. “I wasn’t expecting you to go through such lengths for me, Makoto. I really appreciate it.”

She nodded back at him before he was lovingly punched on the shoulder by Ryuji.

“Happy Birthday, dude! Shit, I can’t believe it’s gonna be close to four years that we’ve known each other! Time flies when you’re stealing stuff though, right?”

Four years, huh? Makoto hadn’t processed that herself, honestly. It wasn’t until she noticed Ryuji’s slightly different appearance – his sideburns grown out, and his figure more muscular – that she really had it click in her head. She’d been with Akira for close to four whole years? Maybe it was just that everything felt so routine at this point, but it never felt like it was _that_ long. She looked around, noting everyone had different appearances besides Ryuji – Ann had her hair down, rather than in twintails, Futaba was a lot taller than she used to be, Mishima was- okay, he was pretty much the same, but everyone else seemed so… different. So why did she feel like she was still the same as four years ago?

“Hey, Makoto, is everything okay?”

Akira’s voice snapped her out of her train of thought. She nodded, giving him a wide grin before twining her fingers together with his own.

**I’m fine. Thank you for asking, though.**

She could see him squint at her a bit, his head craning forward in doubt, but any reaction he might’ve had was interrupted by Yusuke coming over to talk to him. She stood there to listen to the conversation a bit before giving Akira’s hand a gentle squeeze to let him know she was going to go walk around and converse with the other guests.

“So, when’s he gonna pop the question?”

Out of all people, Sojiro was the one who approached her, and at his question, her face went hot.

**I—I don’t really know.**

“He better do it soon. The bachelor’s lifestyle is nice and all, but you’re a great girl. It’d be a shame for him to not lock it in.”

She hadn’t ever conversed with him all too frequently, but when they did talk, she could tell he thought of Akira as his own son, and through talks with Akira, she knew he considered Sojiro to be like a father to him as well. But more importantly… was Akira thinking about proposing? He’d told Ryuji he wanted to get married, sure, but did he _mean_ it when he said it? She wasn’t entirely certain herself, but it would be something she thought on more in detail later. Instead, she wanted to focus on the party with all of her friends, and with the most important person in her life.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> sorry for the shorter length compared to the first chapter - i wasn't entirely feeling this one, but i wanted to get it out like i said i would  
> i wanted to try to mix it up with this chapter, switching the point of view to makoto instead of akira; i kind of view them as the dual protagonists of persona 5 (mostly because of my own bias) due to the fact akira was originally slated to live with sae in the first place, and makoto is one of the more prominently featured members of the phantom thieves  
> also, to detail when akira's birthday actually is in this fic, it's on june 6th - i know the game is really meant to take place in 2016, but i like imagining it taking place in 2022 so he can be born on 6/6/06  
> i have some ideas for the next chapter that might make it a little more entertaining for me to write, and i'm already feeling like it'll be a longer one to make up for this short chapter  
> as always, any feedback is welcome!


	3. 20XX 7 12

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Makoto and Akira watch a horror movie together. Akira is not a fan of horror movies.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> another shorter chapter this week, but i already have the next (and final!) one written up, which i'll be posting next week, so look forward to it! in the meantime, please enjoy terrifed dork akira kurusu :)

To say that Akira hated horror movies was a bit of an overstatement – he just didn’t _like_ them. Sure, he’d go watch them with Haru, but whenever a scary moment in the movie happened, he’d wince internally, trying to keep up the Cool Kid exterior he had so carefully planned. So when Makoto suggested they watch a horror movie together, he (reluctantly) agreed to the proposal, figuring it would be a good way to cuddle up with her, maybe hold her hand, the good cliché couple stuff. Part of him also assumed that she had that specific intent in mind as well, wanting him to comfort her whenever something scary happened.

Of course, he _wanted_ to do that. But once the film started playing, he knew he wouldn’t be able to manage it. He stared into the void, and all he saw was his own terrified expression looking back at him. But he had to be strong, for Makoto, and _ohgoddontopenthedoordontdoit_! He could feel his body tense up, and a laugh from Makoto brings him out of the movie, just for a second.

**Is my terror amusing you?**

She smirks at him, her eyes giving him a teasing look as she simply nods, patting her lap for him to rest his head on, which he immediately complies with.

**Y’know, this is the opposite of how these things normally go.**

“I know. But it’s kind of cute to see you so scared.”

**Was this your plan all along?**

“Partially. I _was_ hoping you’d be the braver one instead, but I’m fine with this as well.”

**You’re such a tease.**

She simply responds with laughter, combing her fingers through his hair as she continues to watch the movie, giving him reassuring kisses whenever he jumps or seems to be frightened by something in the movie.

Akira realizes he can’t complain about it, feeling rather content with the whole situation. It was ironic, too, in a way; the leader of the Phantom Thieves, the one who was supposedly so fearless, was terrified of a movie with an evil clown. It was… well, it felt natural, in a way. He could let his guard down around Makoto, the carefully crafted and constructed mask he wore around others. Once again, this is why he felt she was his home. He felt safe with her, and he knew she felt safe with him.

Even if it did mean being tortured with horror movies just so she could get a reaction out of him.


	4. 20XX 10 15

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Makoto and Akira celebrate their anniversary.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> alright second time's the charm, this time i didn't copypaste the whole fic into this chapter lmao

It had been four years. Four whole years since Makoto and Akira began dating, since Akira promised to help Makoto broaden her horizons. It felt almost like it was just yesterday, yet it also felt like an eternity ago as well. He could still remember her blush when he responded the way he did, the way she hesitated, almost questioning if he was being genuine with her or not. He was, of course, being entirely genuine with her, as he’d quickly fallen for her after she spent enough time in the party. Her guts during Kaneshiro’s palace, her kindness with Futaba’s, and her determination to make amends with Morgana during Okumura’s showed Akira that she was more than just student class prez, more than just a bookworm. She was… well, she was a beautiful person, overall, and it wasn’t until he talked it out with Ryuji that he realized his feelings were more than just friendly.

_So, what’s goin’ on between you and Class Prez, huh?_

**_What do you mean?_ **

_Aw, c’mon, you know what I mean. You two seem to be a little more than friendly, dude. We all see the way you look at her. Heck, even Yusuke’s caught on, and he’s oblivious at times!_

**_I mean… I just like being around her._ **

_In what way? Friends? More than friends? Huh? Huh? Spill it, man! We’re best friends, you gotta share this stuff with me!_

**_I don’t specifically know, I just_ like _Makoto. She makes me feel happy._**

_Dude, you’re totally in love with her! Next time you two hang out, you need to make a move! Hell, I’ll even give you tips if you need some help!_

**_Aren’t you hopeless with women, though?_ **

_Yeah, but I’m great with dudes, so I still have_ some _experience! C’mon, let me help you out!_

**_Fine, but if she hates me by the end of it, it’s all your fault._ **

_She won’t. Trust me._

He had to thank Ryuji, in hindsight, as he was the sole motivator for Akira even attempting to further his relationship with Makoto. If he hadn’t forced Akira to try to swooce in, he would’ve just stayed friends with Makoto. Not that he minded that, of course, but he started dwelling on the concept of other guys snatching her from him, and he could feel himself getting entirely jealous. The talk with Ryuji and his own feelings combined into a melting pot of realization, and of determination to be able to date Makoto. His will was strong, he told himself, as he proceeded to ask her out in the corniest way possible. She’d bring up his line years later, laughing about it to the point where she started tearing up a little bit. His face still grew hot whenever she brought it up. It wasn’t his best line, sure, but it was still one of his proudest moments, as he finally made the first step towards securing a future that he knew would make not only him, but Makoto, happy.

_Four years._

It was wild to think on that timespan, of how much had _changed_ since then. Ann and Shiho got engaged, Ryuji competed in the Olympics, Yusuke had his own art exhibit, Futaba was soon to graduate from Shujin, and Haru was running the family business. Everyone had grown up, yet they hadn’t grown apart. The Phantom Thieves group chat was still active, with everyone sending pictures of their lives or just shooting hello texts to one another, talking about how much they missed everyone. It was bittersweet, moreso sweet than bitter, almost akin to Akira’s favorite coffees, and yet he was happy with it all. He had someone he could come home to every night ever since they moved in together back in late May, he still had his friends – no, his _family_ , to talk to whenever, and he had a career that he was happy with in the works as well. So when he looked at the calendar, noting that it was four years since he set foot on the path to his best future, he knew he had to do something special for the special person in his life. Part of the beauty of Makoto was that no matter what he did, she’d still be happy. That’s how it was for every anniversary – she always told him that spending time with him was the only present she needed, and she meant it. He still showered her with gifts, giving her small little trinkets like a Doraemon phone charm once he learned she had an interest in those things, and even a locket with a picture of the two of them together in it.

This gift, however, would be entirely different, one that would be the most special gift he could give her. He’d had it for a little while, unsure of when to give it to her, but he knew that this was the right time to do it. It was something Sojiro gave him, something he told Akira to give to the woman he knew he was going to settle down with, and that woman was definitely Makoto. The way she looked at him with those beautiful eyes of hers, the way she smiled and the way her fingers felt around his – it was something he wanted to keep forever. He knew exactly how to do it, too. They’d watched a lot of romance movies in their four years together, and he determined that the best proposal, the way to go above and beyond, was to get his friends involved, having them at various locations that were significant to how they ended up together, each giving her clues on where to go. The final destination was the Sky Tower, somewhere he’d always wanted to visit with her, but sadly was unable to during their time as the Thieves. There he’d be waiting, ring in hand, to secure their future together.

\--

Makoto was extremely confused. She’d gotten a text from Ryuji telling her to meet him in Shibuya at the arcade, saying he wanted to play some games with her before she hung out with Akira.

_we almost never hang out one on one man. as akiras best friend i feel like i gotta hang out with his girl yknow? so meet me in the shibuya arcade, the one from back in the day, before yall go do your couple shit_

She sent an “Okay. I’ll see you there.” in response, deciding to humor him. Rather than just playing games with Ryuji, she instead was met with a clue. A cryptic puzzle, left in Ryuji’s chicken scratch.

_the first step down memory lane starts here. back then, the Sky seemed to be the limit, didnt it? four years had passed since then… congrats to you and akira, honestly. treat him right, yhear?_

Ann texted her next, telling her to meet her at the school. She wasn’t met with just a puzzle and a no-show this time, but was met with Ann and Shiho, almost beaming at her. She couldn’t help but raise a brow in curiosity, wondering exactly what Akira was planning. Ann ran up to her, giving her a big hug before giving her an even bigger smile.

"Gosh, I’m so glad to see you! It feels like it’s been forever since we last talked. Did you get taller? Like, much taller? Super tall?”

Alright, Ann’s already suspicious. Her bad acting didn’t help out, either.

**No, I’m still about the same height as I was back then.**

“Oh, really? Huh. I thought you seemed to tower over me, yknow? Tower. Yeah! But, anyway, uh, I just wanted to say hi! And what better place to do it than here, where it all started, right?”

She hadn’t visited Shujin since she’d graduated, honestly. It felt… odd being back here almost as if it was some entirely unfamiliar place, somewhere she had just visited for the very first time. Yet, as she reflected on the events that took place here – the cultural festival, trying to discern Haru’s identity, and so many other things, she couldn’t help but feel nostalgic.

Either her allergies were acting up suddenly, or she was crying a little. Or it was a bit of both. She nodded at Ann’s words, starting to realize how much of an impact her time at Shujin had on her life. She gave her friend a hug, making sure to give Shiho one as well. The two of them mended everything that happened with Kamoshida after the Phantom Thieves disbanded, Ann dragging her along to discuss their roles as the Thieves, and Makoto apologizing as profusely for her inaction as humanly possible. She grew close to them, hanging out and getting crepes together whenever they weren’t busy or whenever she wasn’t spending time with Akira. It was a good change of pace, a way to keep her sane as her boyfriend was miles away from her.

“Anyway. Someone else is waiting for you. You’re almost at the end.”

Her phone buzzed, and when she checked it, she couldn’t help but be shocked – it was from Eiko. The two of them stopped talking a couple of years after the host club incident happened, and she was amazed that she still even had her number after all these years.

_Hey Mako-chan, I just wanted to say… thanks for helping me out, all those years ago, with Tsukasa. You were a lifesaver – who knows what would’ve happened back then if you and your boyfriend hadn’t stepped in. When you see him today, thank him for me. But you should call your sister, and see where she is._

Her sister? Okay, kind of odd, but she’d roll with it. When she did, Sae informed her that she was at the Skytree in Sumida, and that the two of them could chat for a bit before she had to take care of a case.

What was waiting for her was… breathtaking. A table for two, with candles and the works, and an _extremely_ handsome-looking Akira, his hair slicked back as he was dressed in a black and red tuxedo. She couldn’t help but start crying, slow at first, but shifting into a big mess of tears as time went on.

\--

Oh god, Makoto was crying.

Did he mess up? He didn’t mess up, right? At least, he _thought_ he didn’t. Everything was sentimental, nostalgic in a way, and he felt like the execution was perfect. So maybe it was someone along the way that messed it up?

His worries melted away when Makoto ran over to him, nigh tackling him in a big hug as she continued to cry, her tears dripping onto his tux. She pulled away ever so slightly, just enough to where she could plant a long, happy kiss on his lips.

“This is all so… so perfect, Akira. You didn’t have to do so much for me, like I’ve said before.”

**I know, but I wanted to anyway. I wanted to make this night special, for someone who made my life special.**

She smiled even bigger, more tears coming out of her eyes as she pressed her face into his chest.

“You’re so corny. You haven’t changed at all since back then.”

In a way, she was right. But there was one way he wanted to change, just one simple thing that would make him happier than he already was. He slowly began getting down on one knee, ring resting comfortably inside the closed palm of one of his hands, as he grabbed Makoto’s hand with his free hand.

**Makoto Niijima – my girlfriend, my best friend, my Confidant, and my Queen – would you do me the honor of being my bride?**

The ring was skillfully shifted between his fingers as her face shifted even more, her hands flying up to her face to cover her eyes as she began crying more, a muffled “YES!” slipping out from behind her hands. To add on to her surprise, Sae, Sojiro, and the rest of the Thieves came out of hiding, letting off confetti poppers and various other celebratory items.

From this day on, the two of them would aim for the future.

Together.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> and with that, aim for the future is all wrapped up! originally, i was shooting for a different idea entirely, but when i started writing this, it felt natural and it felt like a good stopping point for everything. so thank you all for joining me on this little adventure, and i can't wait to keep contributing content for makira in the future!  
> (probably angst stuff though lmao)


End file.
